Improved clasp for harness-tugs



if UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. D. oowLEs', or ARMADA, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVED CLASP FOR HARNESS-TUGSL Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,678, dated February 17, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, L. D. COWLES, of Armada, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan,have invented a new and Improved Clasp for Harness-Tugs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an inner side view of my invention; Fig. 2, an edge view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspoudin g parts in the two figures.

This invention is designed to supersede the ordinary tug-buckle by avoiding the holes which are necessarily required to be made to receive the tongue of the buckle, and also by afl'ording a more ready means for lengthening and shortening the tugs.

The invention consists in the employment or use of lever-plates, provided with eccentrics and arranged with two clampplates in such a manner that the latter, by adjusting the lever-plates, may be made to grasp firmly the two parts of the tug and firmly connect the same, and also be loosened therefrom when necessary, so as to admit of the tug being shortened or lengthened, as desired.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, Iwill proceed to describe it.

A represents a metal plate, which may be of quadrilateral form, and of a width equal to that of the strap B of the tug. This plate has two cars or projections, a a, at each side of it, near its ends, and into these cars or projections screws 0 are fitted in internal screw threads, the screws projecting at right angles from plate A. The ears or projections 11 are connected at their outer ends by screw-rods D, the latter having a transverse position with the plate A. The rods D have screwthreads cut on them near their ends only where they pass into the outer ends of the screws 0, and fit in internal screw-threads therein. On each rod D there is fitted a leyer-plate, E. These plates are forked nearly their whole length, the rods D passing through the prongs b near their outer ends. The inner end of each prong b has an eccentric, a, formed on it, the shape of which is shown clearly in Fig. 2.

F represents a plate, which is hollowed out transversely at its upper and lower sides, so as to form a series of transverse edges or prominences, d, at its inner side. (See Fig. 2.) The strap G of the tug is permanently attached to one end of the plate F, but the strap B is simply fitted between the two plates A F, and firmly clamped by turning the lever-plates E over on the outer side of the plates F, one plate being over the other. In thus turning these plates the eccentrics 0 0 act upon the plate F, and press it against the strap B, while the plate A is at the same time, owing to the connection of the leverplates E to it, drawn against the strap B, and the strap B is thus firmly clamped.

In order to lengthen or shorten the tug, the lever-plates E E are thrown or turned outward, as shown in red in Fig. 2. The plates A F are thereby released, and the strap B may be shoved farther in between the plates E F, or drawn outward therefrom, and the plates then made to grasp the strap.

In order to insure afirm connection of the strap B between the plates A F, the former may be constructed with swells or transverse convex surfaces 6, to correspond with the transverse concave surfaces between the edges or prominences d. This arrangement will effectually prevent the slipping of the strap B.

In order to accommodate this device to straps B of different thicknesses, the plates A F are adjusted a greater or less distance apart by turning the screws 0. To effect this, the rods D are removed from the screws 0, the former, as well as the lever-plates E E,being replaced when the screws 0 are properly adjusted.

In common tugs, for cheap harness, the strap B may not be provided with the swells 0. They will be partially formed in time by the pressure of the plates A F. Thus it will be seen that by this simple device a very cheap and efficient substitute for the buckle is obtained, and one which greatly increases the strength of the tug, as the strap does not require to be perforated, as hitherto, toreceive the tongue of a buckle. The tug also may be lengthened and shortened with greater facility than usual.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The two plates A F, in combination with the lever-platesE E, provided with the eccentries 0 0, and connected to the plate F through the medium of the screws 0 and rods D, all arranged snlistantiaIE as and for the purpose herein set forth.

L. D. GOWLES.

Witnesses: y

REMIOK S. ARNOLD, MICHAEL R. WIERs. 

